What Good Friends Look Like

This article on “What Good Friends Look Like" prompted me to reflect on the qualities of my closest friendships. The author introduces Tim Urban’s “Does This Friendship Make Sense” Matrix, a framework for evaluating friendships by dividing them into four quadrants. Q1 friendships are both healthy and enjoyable, Q2 friendships are healthy but not enjoyable, Q3 friendships are enjoyable but not healthy, and Q4 friendships are neither healthy nor enjoyable. But the quicker method is Tim Urban’s Traffic Test — a metaphorical test where you and a friend are in a car together driving home. If you're hoping for traffic because you enjoy their company and conversation, they pass the test. If you encounter traffic and feel a sense of dread, they don't pass. I realized I might have a couple of those traffic-dread friendships, but that just inspires me to dig deeper into our conversations.  — CD